Cover for barrels



(No Model.) I

E. S. PHELPS.

COVER FOR BARRBLS, &c. No. 476,407. Patented June 7, 1892.

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Uwrrnn STATES PATENT rrrca,

EDIVIN SANFORD PHELPS, OF LEAVENWORTH, KANSAS.

COVER FOR BARRELS, &,0.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 476,407, dated June 7,1892.

Application filed February 20, 1892. Serial No. 422,274. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known thatLEDwIN SANFORD PHELPS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Leavenworth, in the county of Leavenworth and State ofKansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Covers forBarrels and other Vessels; and I do declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to theletters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of thisspecification.

My invention relates to covers for barrels, tubs, and other vessels inwhich the contents may be displayed or exhibited without liability ofbeing pilfered or in which it is desired to confine the contents againstmovement during transportation or at other times; and it has for itsobject to provide simple and efficient means for locking the cover inplace which shall be capable of easy manipulation and which may beadjusted to vessels of different diameters and which cannot be operatedexcept by those entitled to operate them.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and such other objects as mayhereinafter appear the invention consists in the construction and thecombination of parts hereinafter particularly described, and then soughtto be specifically defined by the claims.

Figure l is a plan view of the device ,showing the upper plate brokenaway. Fig. 2 is a side view with the casing in section and the fingersor bars omitted. Fig. 3 is a detail view of the reciprocating finger,with ahooked end shown in dotted lines.

In carrying out my invention I make use of a frame-work, which may be ofany suitable construction, but which I prefer to construct, asillustrated in the drawings, of upper and lower plates or bars A,connected together at their outer edges by side webs or bars B, whichform a frame work that is hollow, whereby it is adapted to receive arevolu-ble plate or disk 0, which is keyed or otherwise secured to acentral stem D, projecting above and below said plate or disk andturning in openings made in the upper and the lower plates or bars A,the stem being provided with a key E, angular in cross-section andpreferably projecting above the upper bars or plates A, so that a crankor other lever may be applied thereto for the purpose of turning therevoluble disk or plate 0. Projecting laterally from this frame work isa series of pointed fingers or bars I which are capable of sliding inand out through openings made in the webs or side bars Btherefor. Anydesired number of these fingers or bars maybe employed; but I haveillustrated only four, as that number is sufficient for the purpose. Itis preferred to locate these fingers or bars so that they will lieagainst the web or side bar which extends at right angles to the web orbar through which the finger reciprocates, so that an additional guideand brace for the reciprocating finger may be afforded by the side baror web against which it bears. It is also preferred to locate thesereciprocating fingers or bars so that some of them will lie above therevoluble disk or plate 0 and the others will lie below the same, asillustrated in the drawings, whereby movement of all the fingers isprovided for without interference of one with the other. These fingersare connected with the revoluble plate or disk by means of studs or pinsG, extending from the disk or plate and entering slots I-I, made in thefingers, so that as the disk or plate is turned the fingers are moved inor out, according as the plate may be turned in one direction or theother. The slots in the fingers permit the circular movement of theplate or disk and longitudinal movement of the fingers without bindingof the parts. By the construction described the revoluble plate or diskis held in place and the fingers are braced, so that the whole structureis ren-.

dered strong and the parts made easy of manipulation and at the sametime protected from injury.

The frame-work which contains the operating parts already described hassecured to it a grating or net-work in anysuitable manner and ofsufficient dimension to cover the space from the frame-work to the sideof the barrel or vessel. The particular manner of securing the strandsor wires of the grating or net-work which I have illustrated in thedrawings consists in passing some of the wires through openings orperforations made in the side bars of the described frame-work, asillustrated in the drawings, whileother strands or wires are connectedto perforated ears extending from the sides of the frame-work, asillustrated. This affords an easy and strong manner of connecting theframe-work and netting or grating together, and, while the same ispreferred, I wish it to be distinctly understood that I do not confinemyself to that manner of securing the parts together.

The cover constructed as described is placed inside the vessel, with thereciprocating fingers drawn inwardly, and a lever is then applied to thekey of the revoluble disk and the same turned, so as to force thefingers outwardly and into the sides of the vessel, whereby the cover islocked securely in place and cannot be removed without turning the diskin the other direction to move the fingers from their locking engagementwith the sides of the vessel. The contents of the vessel, however, canbe inspected through the grating. This allows the exhibition of thecontents of the vessel without the possibility of pilfering or unlawfulabstraction of anything that may be contained in the vessel.

It is obvious that instead of using a netting or grating that portion ofthe cover may be solid and the locking means still be employed. It isalso obvious that, if desired, the outer ends of the reciprocating barsor fingers, instead of being formed so as to force the same against theinside of the vessel, may behooked so that the hooks may extend over theedge of the vessel in order that they may engage the outside of thevessel. hen such is the case, it is evident that instead of forcing thefingers outwardly to engage the sides of the vessel they will be drawninwardly to engage the Vessel, the connection of the fingers to therevoluble disk being the same as already described and the operationsubstantially the same, the only difference being that the disk will beturned in an opposite direction to that in which it is turned when thefingers are to be projected outwardly.

If desired, only two of the reciprocating fingers may be employed forsecuring the cover to the vessel, and they may be either above or belowthe revoluble disk, as may be most desirable. The hooked ends of thefingers are represented by dotted lines in the drawings, as shown inFig. 3.

It will be observed that all the fingers employed are movedsimultaneously by the simple turning of the revoluble disk or plate.

I propose using some locking device that will hold the parts in theirlocked position. A form suitable for the purpose is illustrated in thedrawings, and consists in forming notches or teeth I in the revolubledisk or plate 0, which will engage with a pawl J, pivoted to the ears Kand having its outer end extended above the casing A and in proximity tothe key E, so that when the wrench or 0perating-handle is applied tothat key it will depress the outer end of said pawl and raise its innerend from engagement with the ratchet-teeth on the disk 0, and thus allowthe latter to be turned to move the locking-fingers. At other times thepawl, being in engagement with the ratchet-teeth of the disk, willprevent the latter from turning, and thus hold the parts locked in theirfastening position. A spring L may be employed to press down the innerend of the pawl and hold it in engagement with the ratchet-teeth of thedisk, and, if desired, ears or lugs M may be employed to guide and bracethe pawl against lateral movement.

The foregoing is one form of device for looking the parts; but I do notlimit myself to such form.

I have described with a particularity the details of construction of theseveral parts of the device; but it is obvious that changes in suchdetails can be made and the essential features of my invention still beemployed, and therefore, while I have given a detail description, I amnot to be understood as confining myself thereto when the essentials ofthe invention I employ exists under a different construction in detailsof the several parts.

Having described my invention and set forth its merits, what I claimis 1. In a cover for barrels or other vessels, the combination, with therevoluble operating disk or plate, of the series of fingers connectedwith said plate and arranged some above and others below the plate,whereby they may be arranged close together and move across the path oftravel of each other without interference one with the other,substantially as and for the purposes described.

2. In a cover for barrels or other vessels, the combination, with therevoluble operating plate ordisk provided with studs or pins projectingfrom opposite faces thereof, of reciprocating fingers located above andbelow said frame, formed with elongated openings ex tending transverselyto their length, into which said studs or pins enter, substantially asand for the purposes described.

3. In a cover for barrels or other vessels, the combination, with theframe formed with openings in its sides for the passage of reciprocatingfingers, of reciprocable fingers inclosed in said frame and passingthrough said openings and located next to the side walls of the frameand a revoluble operating disk or plate located between the top andbottom of the frame, connected with said fingers for reciprocating thesame, substantially as and for the purposes described.

A. In a cover for barrels or other vessels, the combination, with theframe having a revoluble disk or plate inclosed therein between its topand bottom and side walls, of reciprocable fingers moving in said frameand connected with said plate or disk, substantially as and for thepurposes described.

5. In a cover for barrels or other vessels, the combination, with theframe and its reciprocable fingers, of the wires or strands passedthrough and secured within openings IIS leased from looking engagementby the lever that aotuates the operating means, substantially as and forthe purposes described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDWIN SANFORD PHELPS.

Witnesses:

ANDREW GEORGE RUDER, HARRY MILTON PHELPS.

